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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: object · sharp · fine · hand · lash · bulb · bear · bat

  1. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. hand — in cards
  3. fine — high quality
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. bulb — for light
  7. bat — the animal
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. object — a thing
  11. bear — the animal
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. fine — all right
  14. hand — help
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. bear — the animal
  18. bulb — for light
  19. object — to protest
  20. sharp — clever
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. object — an aim
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. sharp — with an edge

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com